Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellent Reviews

Positive Reviews

I HATE insect repellents but had to use them when I traveled in the Amazon jungle in South America. I used the strongest, nastiest stuff while I was there and still got eaten alive! And all the while I was soaking in chemicals! When someone gave me this to try I was incredulous but kind of enjoyed the smell and it was a nice change from Jungle Juice. Use it generously and you will see results. Here is the deal: it is oily (just like all insect repellents) and you need to reapply often (just like all repellents) and you will be bitten occasionally (just like with all repellents), so why not use this one which is natural and smells nicer?

Negative Reviews

I was REALLY hoping this stuff would work. I brought it, along with a few other brands of natural repellents, on a trip to El Salvador. With fair skin and juicy blood (apparently), my body requires liberal coverage of sunblock and insect repellent under necessary circumstances. I was on a volunteer expedition with Habitat for Humanity in July in Central America. Translation: nasty amounts of mosquitos and other biting insects, INSANE humidity, a good amount of sweat, daily thunderstorms. I was eaten alive. I believe I counted no less than 33 bites on my body at any given time during the trip. In all fairness, I have yet to find an effective potion for my sensitive (and tasty!) skin. I...

This product has a thick oil base with a peculiar quality. While you have to rub it in really, really well (or the oily residue stays slippery & can stain your clothes), it rubs off really quickly when it comes in contact with water (re: rain or sweat).
We've tried it in two places: Chicago and Guatemala.
For BBQs in Chicago, it works fine, although you do need to re-apply after an hour and a half or so. A big plus in that environment is that the smell is much better than traditional repellents--it's even a mite fresher than basic citronella.
For hiking through the rain forest in Guatemala, this product was pretty much worthless. The reason seems to be that it "...